


Secondary Characters

by hopeisananchor



Category: Squaresville
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-19
Updated: 2013-04-19
Packaged: 2017-12-08 22:47:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/766935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopeisananchor/pseuds/hopeisananchor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Things between Shelly and Ozzy go haywire, so Shelly seeks Percy's company to forget it all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Secondary Characters

“Just leave, Ozzy! I never wanna see your face again,” Shelly screamed as she slammed the car door.

“Wait, Shelly, c’mon-“

“NO!” She didn’t turn around, she didn’t go back this time. Not this time. _You’re stronger this time._

“Shelly! God, what is wrong-” she was in her house before he could even get his car door open. No matter how many times he said he was sorry, no matter how many times she believed him, he always screwed up. And her heart had had enough.

“Shelly, honey, are you okay?” Her grandfather was sitting in the recliner, like he always was. He was reading the newspaper, his reading glasses sliding off his nose. He reached up and took them off, laying them gently on the coffee table beside the photograph of Shelly’s mother. He was wearing one of the many navy blue button downs he owned and his fingers were marked in black pen from the crossword he’d been working on. Sometimes knowing what to expect was comforting.

“Yeah, Gramps, it’s just…” She looked to the wall behind the recliner at the large canvas painting that had been there for as long as she could remember. Her mother’s painting. “Ozzy. It’s over.”

“Oh, honey.” Her grandfather rose, walked to her, and wrapped his arms around her. Shelly felt herself fall against his chest as the tears began to fall.

 ---

Percy was working on his new comic when his cell lit up. It was a text from Shelly: _hey what r u doing? wanna go to Al’s?_   He looked down at his half-finished page, then at the text. _Sure, meet you in 10._

He grabbed his board, backpack, and cell and headed downstairs. When he reached the living room he paused. “Hey mom, I’m going to Al’s. I’ll be back by curfew.”

“Okay, honey, have fun! Be safe,” he heard from the kitchen.

It only took him 4 minutes to reach Al’s, the late-night diner down the road. He slid into the booth he usually shared with Zelda and Esther.

“Hey Percy, what can I get ya?” It was Mary Ann. She had been waitressing at Al’s since it had opened in the 80’s. Percy, Zelda, and Esther were regulars and the entire staff knew them by name.

“Uh, a root beer float, please. And some cheese fries.”

“You got it!” She winked before heading back to the kitchen. Percy pulled out his notebook and began doodling. He always drew when he was nervous.

A few minutes later the door to the diner opened and Shelly bounced in. “Hey!” She waved big at Percy as she made her way to the booth.

“Hey,” he replied. “What’s up?”

She sat down, crossed her legs, and starting pulling her long, dark hair into a ponytail. “Well, a lot. But I don’t really wanna talk about it. I just need some chill time. Whacha drawing?”

“Oh, this? Nothing really.”

“Oh, nothing, huh?” She reached for the notebook. On the page was a sketch of the diner. He had already drawn the booths, the tables, and the counter. He’d been working on Mary Ann when she’d grabbed it from him. “Wow, Perce, this is actually pretty good. I didn’t know you could draw!”

“Oh, um,” he was struggling to get the words out. “Yeah, it’s kinda just… a hobby. I just draw, you know, whenever.”

She smiled. “Cool.”

Mary Ann showed up then with the root beer float and cheese fries. “Here ya go, Percy. And what can I get you young lady?”

“I’d like the same-“

“Actually,” Percy spoke up, “I got this for you, Shelly. I’m not really that hungry.”

Mary Ann smirked, shrugged, and walked off.

“Oh, wow, Perce, thanks! How’d you know what I wanted?”

“I’ve seen you order it a thousand times.” He paused. “Not in, like, a creepy I-watch-everything-you-do kinda way. Just… that’s what you ordered all the time when we hung out before.”

Shelly laughed. “It’s cool. I do order it every time.”

They spent the next hour talking, laughing, and even had a game of hangman.

“Hey,” Percy said, “I hate to cut this short but I gotta be home by 12. Curfew, you know.”

“Oh, right. Yeah… I need to get back, too. Thanks for hanging out. I really needed this.”

“Any time, Shelly.” He smiled and reached into his backpack. He laid a ten on the table and got up.

Shelly stood up, too, and gave Percy a hug. “Really, Percy, thank you.”

Percy was blushing. “Y-you’re welcome.” And then she kissed him on the cheek.

“See ya around,” she yelled as she made her way out the door. Percy stood, dumbfounded. Mary Ann, having witnessed it all from behind the counter, chuckled.

“Hey, Percy,” she called, “keep the ten. Save up and take that girl out on a real date.” She winked and walked back to the kitchen.

Percy smiled the whole ride home.

**Author's Note:**

> My first ever fan fiction piece (I mean, not technically, but I really don't count the Orlando Bloom fics I wrote when I was 12), written November 10, 2012, for a Squaresville fan faction writing contest on Tumblr.
> 
> I've shipped Shelly and Percy since episode 7 - Shelly at Large. This piece falls sometime after the Season 1 finale, when Percy is left on his own as Zelda and Esther are fighting. 
> 
> My head canon is that Percy has secretly liked Shelly since middle school, and he couldn't be happier that she's back in his life, even just as friends.


End file.
